The Single Date
by emilycare
Summary: Post season 1, Lucy and Wyatt have talked things out and are finally "happening." Tonight they go on their first real date. [Follow up to Talk to Me and Perspective]
1. Chapter 1

Lucy looked in the mirror for the fifth time, pulling her hair out of Jiya's hands yet again.

Jiya sighed deeply, drumming her fingers on the bureau. "I'm not changing it again, I don't care what you say."

"You're sure? Maybe the French braid **was** the way to go?"

"But Lucy, you said it pulled your scalp too much. And honestly, I think you should flaunt your mane. I mean, Wyatt has seen you with leaves in your hair, covered in mud-"

"and blood," Lucy interrupted quietly.

"Yes! He's seen you at your worst and he still is crazy about you. I don't know what you are worrying about!" Jiya banged the hair brush on the bureau for emphasis.

"Somehow the fact that it's a date, our first real date, makes it feel like the stakes are sky high."

"Well, I get that. But put it in perspective. Just imagine that you've got Flynn or Emma creeping around after you, and you may find yourself worrying a bit less about how you look."

The women sat in Jiya's room. Her "boudoir" as Rufus called it. It had wide windows, a pale peach paint on the walls which peeked out between an eclectic collection of posters for Star Trek films, the Dark Crystal and _film noir._ Lucy reflected that the bright cheery room was about as far from the sultry and romantic images the word boudoir evoked, as Wyatt's apartment had been from feeling "personal."

She looked in the mirror again and tried to see past the anxiety that was making her find fault with every detail about herself. Remarkably finding a dress had been no problem. Among the meager belongings Lucy still owned—after rejecting much of the wierdly alien wardrobe that she'd inherited from that "other self" who was in love with Noah—was one of her favorite dresses: a black sheath dress with slinky graceful gathers, and a low strapless neckline that left her shoulders bare. She'd worn it to cocktail parties at Stanford to help her feel confident navigating the bloodbath that was academic politics. She'd always gotten second looks. Tonight they would be from a hot, available guy her age, rather than the usual married, stuffy older gentlemen so common in her department.

With this dress as her faithful companion to wear, her hair and make-up had ended up taking the brunt of her worry. She'd spent hours on her make-up, and hauled her friend in to help her with her hair. After several other attempts, Jiya had hit on braiding Lucy's bangs in a sideways waterfall braid across the right side of her forehead. The rest of her dark hair swished about her neck as usual. She'd fretted herself into a frenzy wanting to look "special" for tonight, going back and forth about what ornamentation would be too much. But finally looking again at herself, she could start to see what Jiya saw. She looked good.

"Maybe this strikes a balance?" Lucy said. Jiya at first rolled her eyes and put her head down, but suddenly perked her head up.

"Yes! Yes, that's what I was trying to say." She slid her chair until Lucy could see Jiya's face framed in the mirror behind her own. Jiya fluffed some of the dark locks on Lucy's shoulder. "This is just enough for a special night. You look great. And with that dress, you will be lucky if he notices your hair."

Lucy blushed and took a deep breath. "Okay. Let's go for it. Plus," she looked sideways at Jiya, "I think I've used up all my good roomie credit for the night, right?"

Jiya winked at her. "Maybe not all...but yeah, don't push it too far." She put her arms out to Lucy for a hug, and Lucy once again felt her great luck at having Jiya for a friend. Her life had narrowed considerably in the past year, and no relationship was extraneous. Lucy breathed a brief prayer of thanks to the Universe that had seen fit to send such stellar companions her way.

* * *

Wyatt knocked on the door at 7 pm sharp. Truth be told, he'd arrived 15 minutes early, gotten nervous and ended up circling the neighborhood several more times until it was safe to enter. The last thing he wanted was to make Lucy hurry and feel like he was pushing her to get going early. Although that is exactly what he'd wanted since he woke up that morning.

His morning jog had never seemed so long. He'd been distracted during sparring and took an unexpected right hook to the temple. His assigned security guard, Margot noticed the bruise when he dropped by to say hello where she was stationed in her grey Ford outside his house.

"Rittenhouse get the drop on you at the gym?" she said, grinning at him.

"No such luck. A black belt's right fist had the pleasure."

Margot laughed. "Just one attacker? That doesn't sound like you."

Wyatt's cheeks got pink. He mumbled. "I might have been distracted."

She whistled. "Something I need to know for my schedule tonight?" Wyatt rubbed his neck in embarrassment and filled her in on what he had planned for his date with Lucy.

The rest of the day was agony. He'd tried watching movies, reading, video games but couldn't concentrate on anything for long. He'd broken down at lunch and picked up a paper looking for a cross-word puzzle. They'd been a great favorite of his grandfather's and though Wyatt hated the things, he was actually pretty good at them. That stuck the longest, but when he finished and found it was still only 3 pm in the afternoon he was about to break. He lay down on the couch and called Rufus.

"Hey, Wyatt, how's it going?"

"I'm about to die."

"What—what's wrong?"

"Oh—I didn't mean that. I'm nervous as a cat about this date with Lucy tonight." Wyatt heard a muffled snort on the other end of the line.

"What?"

"Oh, it's just that I've seen you walk stone cold into a nest of machine guns, hold off a team of Flynn's heavies, and yet it's a nice little dinner with the lady of your choice that makes you choke."

"I'm not choking! I'm just..." Wyatt ran his hand through his hair and sat up. "It's just that..well, you ever have one of those days where you feel like what you're about to do will change the course of the rest of your life?"

"Every day when I show up for work, these days."

"You know what I mean!"

Rufus laughed, "Yeah, I know what you mean. But you've got to cut yourself some slack. Trust me I know. I put so much pressure on that date with Jiya when we got back from the Hindenberg jump I completely clammed up and nearly ruined everything."

"Well..."

"Well, what?"

"She was kinda into you. I think you woulda had to work harder to really shake her off."

Rufus said, "Now you're talking friend. Remember that that's how Lucy feels about you and you'll be just fine."

Wyatt roused from his recollections of the day. As he stood at the door, it opened. Rufus appeared behind it and he gave a low whistle.

"You really do clean up nice. Great fedora. Now wait a minute, that isn't a detachable collar is it?"

Wyatt removed his hat as he came inside and fingered the collar of the crisp white shirt he was wearing. "No, believe me, if I never have to wear one of those again it will be too soon."

"Well, you look like you got a memo from Agent Christopher about Emma's next jump. Was there something I missed?"

Tugging self-consciously at the mossy green silken tie he wore, Wyatt said, "Nope. Though I guess we might luck out if we get the call tonight. This is a suprise for Lucy."

"That takes place in the 1930s?"

Wyatt was saved from having to explain by the interruption of Jiya coming up to them. She gave Rufus a quick kiss on the cheek and clung affectionately to his arm. She gave Wyatt an appreciative look, checking him out from head to foot.

"Hey, I'm right here!" Rufus jokingly objected. Jiya gave him half-lidded smoldering look that made Wyatt turn away. She whispered something in Rufus' ear that he blinked and nodded in response to. _Is Rufus blushing?_ Wyatt thought.

"Okay. We're good then." Jiya said at Rufus' reaction. She smiled smugly and addressed Wyatt, "As I was about to say, I'm very glad to see you made an effort here, Wyatt. If I had to spend that long helping Lucy get ready and find you wearing flannel and jeans I would have blown my stack."

"I get your seal of approval, then?"

She squeezed Rufus arm then dropped it and stepped close to Wyatt. She dusted off the jacket and adjusted the tie slightly. Taking the fedora from his nerveless fingers and put it back on his head at a rakish angle.

"Yes. Perfect. But what I think matters less than..." She broke off as Wyatt and Rufus' attention was captured by something beyond her.

Lucy came down the short hallway, momentarily backlit by a flare of sunlight coming through the west facing windows of Jiya's living room. As Wyatt's eyes recovered from the glare, he took in the rustle of the dress as her legs emerged from the high central slit with each step.

"Have fun!" Jiya said, then tugged at Rufus' arm and steered him out into the living room. Rufus gave Wyatt a nod and awkward thumbs up as he stumbled down the living room after his girlfriend, and flashed a big smile at Lucy as they went by her.

Lucy smiled at Jiya and Rufus and then bashfully turned to Wyatt. She hugged a small beaded black clutch to her side, toying with its handle nervously. She met his eyes, _(so blue I could fall into them)_ then tugged her gaze away to take in his whole ensemble. Wyatt was dressed to the nines. His brown shoes shone, his matching vest and suit jacket looked vintage, yet fitted his muscular frame precisely. Her heart fluttered when she saw the chocolate brown fedora he was wearing. _That man can wear a hat._ She tried not to show how his appearance flustered her. She stepped forward and attempted to greet him with poise.

Wyatt stepped close, his eyes glued to Lucy's. When he had gotten a clear look at her after the dazzle of the day light wore off he was ambushed by desire. His eyes plunged down the revealing neckline, and followed the curves of her hips that the dress showed off so well. His body started reacting immediately, and he had felt the brief tug of temptation to chuck all their plans, carry her down to his car and spend the next hour taking that dress off of her and the next 24 hours learning every secret to making her sigh with pleasure. _Get. A. Grip._

He stepped close to Lucy and offered her his hand. With his other hand he lifted the hat off of his head and leaned close to her for a quick kiss. The scent of apples clung to her. Her hand came up to touch his cheek, and though he had meant to whisk her away quickly ( _the sooner we get going, the sooner we get to my place_ ) he could not resist the siren call of Lucy's touch. The kiss deepened. Their tongues caressed. Time evaporated. Wyatt's hand came up and rested on her hip hugging her to him. She slipped her arms around his neck, breaking away from his mouth to whisper "I missed you," and press a gentle kiss to his neck. Wyatt's eyes closed in surprise and pleasure as the butterfly light pressure sent a shiver through his frame.

He hoarsely responded. "Me, too," and ran his hand down the bare skin of her arm. He felt that magnetic pull again. The scant inches between them seemed too far. _Breathe, breathe. All in good time, soldier._ "You ready to go? Let's not scandalize Jiya and Rufus anymore by necking in their foyer."

A mischievous glint lit up Lucy's eyes. "Oh, I think they'd understand." She reached up again and pressed another blistering kiss to Wyatt's mouth. He fought to keep his composure and not melt into her. "But I'm excited for this night to start. Just a moment—" Lucy scampered back down the hallway toward the living room. Seeing the glitter of lit candles and hearing low voices, she skidded to a stop and pivoted swiftly back to Wyatt.

"Yup." She grabbed his hand and suddenly pulled him toward the door. "That's our cue to exit." Wyatt, baffled and bemused, followed his lady, equally excited for the evening to commence.

* * *

A/N: This is a follow-up to Talk to Me. I meant for it to be a one shot, but well, you know... Warning: Things will get steamy!


	2. Chapter 2

Wyatt took Lucy's arm into the crook of his elbow as they made their way out of Jiya's apartment. Her warm fingers fit perfectly beneath his. With practiced ease he loaned her his balance as they walked down the stairs. He felt her hip rub against his and savored the anticipation of so much more.

Lucy sighed with contentment, walking next to Wyatt. She smiled and glanced at his face in profile beneath the brim of his hat. _What is with his period getup? What an incredibly adorable dork._ When they reached the door, she idly scanned the parking lot for his Jeep, but did not see it.

"Did you call for a car?"

"Nope." He replied, unhelpfully.

"So, we're going to walk? You should have warned me and I wouldn't have worn these." Lucy flashed her calf, showing a high-but-not-quite-teetering heeled black strappy sandle. Laces and buckles wrapped around her ankle. Wyatt felt the urge to follow the maze of the the straps and free that delicate foot. Plant a kiss on the sole. Let his hand follow the turn of the calf higher... _Later. Hold your horses fella. It's all about the journey._

"Would I do that to you?" he asked in an offended voice.

"I do seem to recall a lecture you gave us in 1754 about how we had to be prepared to walk long distances at any time, and how important foot wear is to any real mission."

Giving an embarrassed laugh, Wyatt led a quizzical Lucy near to a shiny plum-colored electric car. "Yeah. I was kind of an ass on that mission, wasn't I?"

"Kinda." She leaned over and breathed into his ear. "You do kinda turn up the attractive level to 11 when you're angry though." His arm came around her waist. He looked into her eyes, so close now. She went on, "Especially when you're worried about me." He claimed her lips tenderly, overcome with a wash of affection. Her eyes closed.

After the kiss, he kept holding her against him and rumbled into her cheek, "I'm always worried about you."

Her eyes rolled open slowly as a grin crossed her face, "Well, right now, all I'm worried about is our ride. What's your plan, Master Sargeant?"

"Voila!" He stepped back and gestured broadly to the car. "Your chariot, Fräulein. A Mason Industries 2017 Azur Q. With moon roof, heated seats, in-flight computer, self-parking features, mini-espresso bar and all your basic comforts of home."

"What?!" She grasped his arm and looked at him in disbelief. "You didn't just buy this did you? I mean Mason is generous, but this must be..."

"Yeah, 6 figures. Easily. No. Military pay even augmented by Mason's generous consulting fees wouldn't get me this anytime soon. But," he pulled a set of keys with a Mason Industries brass toggle on them, "I was able to wangle a borrow of the car from the man himself for the night." Wyatt pressed a button on the key setting the lights off briefly and the car let out a tuneful chirrup as the doors unlocked. As he helped Lucy over the curb, opened the door and helped her in, he went on, "And apparently any scratches come out of my hide not my pay, so let's go easy tonight." He leaned against the frame of the door, a half smile on his face.

"Easy. Absolutely." Lucy's breath caught in her chest arrested by his beauty. His blue eyes caught the light of the setting sun. He leaned forward and her mouth loosened, her lips trembling slightly ready for a kiss, when he paused and said, "May I?" Baffled she just nodded.

He leaned across, his shoulder brushing her breasts lightly, and grasped the sash safety belt above her shoulder and pulling it down to click it snugly in place. He hung there, leaning over her, suspended by his hand on the door frame. This time when her lips opened for him, his were there too, seeking her warmth. His hand tickled her ear, sending a jolt of electricity through her. Her arm came up around his neck, grasping him possessively to her.

Eventually, they separated. Lucy felt the blood rise in her cheeks. "I've wanted to do that for so long," Wyatt said. Her forehead wrinkled with an unspoken question. "Kiss you after buckling you in..." he trailed off, looking bashful suddenly. "Not the time or place in the Lifeboat, of course."

Lucy grasped his face and brought his lips back into full contact with hers again. Teasing his tongue into her mouth, nipping lightly at his lips and spreading small kisses down his jaw until she reached his ear and whispered, "As far as I'm concerned, any time or place with you is the right one, Sweetheart."

Wyatt closed his eyes slowly, feeling her touch. Since she had first told him he needed him in her life, just two days ago, the trickle of desire he'd felt for months to feel her skin against his had flooded his system. He held back the tide now with an act of will. He merely opened his eyes and shifted to give Lucy a look of desire and longing that shook her to the core.

"Soon," he told himself and her. Then he was closing the door, and finding his way to the driver's seat.

Lucy settled back into the soft leather of the seat, her pulse calming ever so slightly. _That look._ She felt warmth bloom between her legs and surge up her body. To distract herself, she looked around. From the space age lines of the car exterior, she'd expected the dash board to look like a cockpit. Instead it had a soothing, retro look with dials and knobs. A central computer screen glowed softly with time, temp, air pressure, weather and local features readout.

Wyatt got in the driver's seat and took her hand. He leaned over and kissed her lightly again, his hand caressing her cheek. She saw great affection written on his face with a lingering echo of that deep longing. Then he sat back up and spoke to the car.

"Wygand, navigate to..." he looked expectantly to Lucy. She rattled off an address. He pressed the button to turn on the engine and began winding his way out of the labyrinthine complex to the road. A black Ford started its engine and Wyatt gave a wave to Chuck, the security guard on duty for Wyatt that evening, who followed them out of the lot. Lucy leaned back languidly, gazing at Wyatt, savoring the moment. He glanced at her briefly and looked back to the road, smiling.

She shook herself out of her revery. Sitting forward she took in more of the interior, inlaid walnut on the dash, ingeneous extendable nozzles for coffee and steam with a row of delicate porcelain cups stacked and stowed. The cups were a shade suspiciously similar to the color of the car itself. Looking closely at them she realized that the apparently abstract pattern of gold on the cups was a repeating "MI" looped and entangled.

"This car..."

"Yeah?" Wyatt glanced at her as he took a turn. A dash light flashed telling him a car had stopped suddenly in front of him. He hit the brakes, pressing an arm to Lucy's middle.

"Whoa," she said in surprise as Wyatt and the seatbelt caught her. But she finished her thought, "...is a little bit much, don't you think?"

"Are you okay, Lucy?" She nodded, squeezing his arm affectionately before her released her. Then he drove on, responding to her question, "Oh, too much, huh?" He sounded deflated.

Lucy realized how her question must have sounded. She put her hand on his arm as he drove. "No! Not that you got one for us tonight. I mean, like all of it." She gestured around the cabin. Her eye caught on the traffic information scroll chugging its way across the bottom of the rear view window. "I mean, are you supposed to just drive around in this thing or move in?"

"Just wait. You ain't seen nothing yet." Wyatt flipped a switch and the moon roof slid open silently. He flipped a toggle and ambient sounds of waves lapping the ocean started up. Lucy felt the seat underneath her start to warm up. Then, she actually thought she smelled sandalwood.

"Now I feel like I am back in my college dorm room!"

"Yeah. Rufus told me about all this. I did not believe him. Mind if I tilt your seat back?"

"What?"

"Trust me."

She nodded and relaxed as he pushed a button and her chair back tilted low. She felt the seat move slightly forward, and the arms on the chair adjust giving her the perfect spot to relax into. She could look out and just see the occasional star, dim but present in the city glow. The sound of the waves lulled her. The oddly comforting sandalwood sent her thoughts drifting.

Wyatt's hand grazed across Lucy's bare arm every time he shifted gears. From the corner of his eye, he saw her breath deeper and settle into the chair. His eyes drifted lower, taking in the soft swell of her hips, her trim rounded thigh, the flash of white skin as she crossed her ankles beneath the folds of black satin.

"How you doing?" he asked at a red light.

"Hmm?" She rolled her head in his direction, peeping at him thru heavy half-lidded eyes.

"Am I losing you again, Professor?" he said softly. Wyatt put a hand out and captured hers, stroking it tenderly. "This too late for a week night?"

"Pshaw, mister." She roused herself and pulled his hand to her mouth, kissing it. The light turned green and he pulled it away with a slight squeeze.

"Good thing," he said. "This night is just starting and we have a lot in store."

"Yeah, about that," said Lucy. "I've been meaning to ask you about your period outfit. Did I miss a memo?" Groping around the edge of the chair, she found the controls and randomly jabbed at one of the buttons. Her head started descending further as the chair back dropped further.

He gave a quick glance her way, "Nope."

"Well that's mysterious..." she said, exasperation creeping into her voice. Lucy stabbed at another button. This one raised the whole seat up several inches before she reversed direction. She tried to land it at the level it had been when she sat down, but overshot, took it back up again, back down too far, and then just abandoned the effort somewhere.

"Um. Um, Lucy. Are you okay there?" Wyatt was clearly holding back laughter.

Lucy pulled her right hand out of the bowels of the car and whipped around to point her index finger at him. "You! Don't make me come up there and set you straight."

"I would never dream of it." he was laughing now.

"Oh, just wait until I figure out how to drive this seat, Mr. Logan. You'll rue the day you teased a Preston." She punched at the remaining button and began her ascent. "See!?" She lifted her hand to shake her finger at him again, realized she'd stopped moving the chair, then swapped hands so she could raise the chair back and tsk-tsk him at the same time.

"I'm shaking in my boots." Wyatt tried to stop laughing but failed.

"No respect!" She glared at him, her eyes nearly on level with him as she righted the seat at last.

"Okay, okay." Wyatt's face finally took on a more sober expression. "You have one mean Professor's look. I am scared for your students."

"They respect me." She crossed her arms haughtily and leveled another glare his way. Her arms framed her breasts and cleavage, and Wyatt tore his eyes away from the bewitching sight she made just in time to avoid a car entering his lane in traffic. More lights flashed on the dash, and the car dinged at him echoing Lucy's tsk-tsk.

"Watch the road!" Lucy called out.

Wyatt tugged at the collar of his shirt, flushing slightly. "I think I'm realizing how dangerous it is to flirt and drive." He kept his eyes on the road now, but said in a more serious tone of voice. "Lucy, I haven't messed this all up already, have I?"

She shook her head, then realized he was studiously not looking at her. "No, no. I'm just fooling around, Wyatt. But...you could make it up to me by telling me what you've got planned."

He pursed his lips, then shook his head. "It's...I probably shouldn't build it up but I just want it to be a surprise, Lucy."

"Fine," she said in clipped tones.

"Fine? Really?"

"Fine," she said in a soothing voice. "But..turnabout is fair play. I'm not telling you where I've headed us."

"You let the guards know, right?" asked Wyatt.

"Of course!"

"And you told them but you won't tell me?"

"I could say the same to you, Soldier!"

"Well, I think that's okay because we are almost there."

"No fair!"

"Hey, it's not my fault there was less traffic tonight." Wyatt pulled the car into a parking garage beneath a hotel and drove over to the Valet parking section. Drivers neatly dressed in maroon and white politely took the keys. One helped Lucy out of the car before Wyatt could reach the door, but he quickly claimed her arm.

"You all do realize I have been walking and opening doors for over 30 years, right?" She said to Wyatt once they broke away from the attendants.

"We're just being neighborly, ma'am."

Lucy rolled her eyes, then did a double take as they walked into a well-lit chamber to wait for the elevator alone. It was the first time she'd seen him in full light this evening. "Wyatt! What happened to you?" He had left his hat in the car and the edge of the yellow-purple bruise on his temple was visible. She pulled back the line of his hair, un-selfconsciously scrutinizing him. "You didn't have this last night!"

He pulled down her hands and kissed them both as he led her through the open elevator doors. "It's nothing. I got it sparring this morning."

"Oh!"

He looked at her conspiratorially. "But shhh...don't tell anyone. I was distracted. Thinking about a girl."

Her face broke into a grin. "Really? Just any girl?"

"Well, no. A pretty special girl. I think she's my girlfriend, if you have to know."

She put her arms around his neck, breathily saying "Yes, I do want to know..." But the elevator arrived and they broke apart again, sheepishly, as the door opened upon a crowd. They were separated by a group of tourists who pushed inside. Wyatt struggled his way out first and reach in to guide Lucy and her heels over the gap. They came out on a busy San Francisco street, with rows of restaurants and shops marching in a row each direction away from the tall hotel behind them. A buzzing from his phone alerted Wyatt to a message from Chuck saying he would be up from the garage shortly.

"Where to now, ma'am?" Wyatt eyed several of the establishments nearby trying to guess which restaurant they were headed to.

Lucy shook her head gently. She looked up and then pointed skyward. "We're heading up there. Right to the top."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you for reading! Hope that post buckle kiss hit the spot. Can see that being a little ritual for Wucy once they got together. Reviews are very welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

"Up there," said Lucy. "We're headed to the top."

They had to take the elevator up to the top floor of the hotel. But there would be no privacy this time. To make Chuck, their security guard's job easier, they waited for him in the hotel lobby to travel up together.

The hotel was jammed. People rushed to and fro. A large family walked by them to check in, an older sister trying to get a younger sibling to not wander off. A well-dressed young woman was filmed by two young men carrying cameras and microphones. Two other lovers stood by the fountain saying their fond farewells. An older man dragged a ridiculously large suitcase on wheels piled with several duffels and shopping bags that banged around and kept falling off.

Both the time team members eyes were caught by the overburdened gentleman, and Lucy was unsurprised to hear Wyatt say, "Lucy, do you mind if I help him out?"

She gave him a kiss and said, "I'd be shocked if you didn't."

Wyatt politely approached the man and after a few moments successfully negotiated taking on the burden of all but one particularly precarious shopping bag. At the huge revolving doors he handed the gentleman off to one of the porters standing ready. Lucy watched in bemusement as Wyatt stood in front of the older gentleman to shield him from the sudden influx of a large group entering through all the available entrances. _Never turns it off._ As she looked on affectionately, she was joined by their security detail for the evening, Chuck.

Chuck, dressed in a charcoal grey suit, his hair in a neat ponytail, was sucking on a grape lollipop. He was a massive, dark-haired man. He offered a handful of pops to Lucy, the sweets dwarfed by his hand. She shook her head and gave him a questioning glance.

"I'm trying to stop smoking. I miss the social part as much as the cancer inducing bits." He shrugged and went to put them away in his pocket, but Lucy stopped him and picked out two instead. When Wyatt got back to them, she was sucking on a green pop and held out a red one to him.

"What's this?"

"Just doing our part of encouraging Chuck to stop smoking." Wyatt unwrapped his sucker and toasted Chuck with it before offering his arm once again to Lucy and leading the way to the elevators. There was a line, so the three of them took their places to wait. Lucy started looking around anxiously.

"Luce, what's wrong?" said Wyatt.

"Oh, nothing. I was just hoping we would make it in time..."

"For?"

Lucy quirked her mouth sideways. "The sunset?" Chuck nodded his head sagely.

Wyatt raised his eyebrows. "In the hotel?"

"From the hotel. It's a beautiful view of the city across the bay from here. I'm ruining the surprise. But I guess it doesn't matter now." Lucy shrugged, her shoulders slumping.

Wyatt took one of Lucy's hands and kissed her knuckles lightly. He leaned close and said quietly, "Luce, it's fine. That sounds very romantic. I love it."

She looked up at him with a new light in her eyes. "Thanks, Wyatt."

"Besides," he went on in a normal tone. "We've got appetizers to tide us over." He pulled his lollipop out of his mouth and gestured with it. Lucy took hers out of her purse and followed his lead.

The young child from earlier was hanging from her sister's hand near them. She followed the movement of suckers from hand to mouth with vivid attention. Lucy caught her eye and smiled. Lucy said something to Chuck who gave a broad grin and pulled out a handful of lollipops from this breast pocket. He asked the harried looking parent with them if they could share their treats with the kids.

The dark-haired woman looked their little trio up and down. "Are you going to a costume party?" They laughed.

Lucy elbowed Wyatt and gave him a pointed look. He responded, "Well, sort of. It's a bit of a surprise. And," he went on, making Lucy blush as he went on, "this is my first real date with this lovely lady and we're trying to make it a bit of a special night."

The older girl piped up, "You need a a bouncer on a date?"

"Candace!" her mother scolded.

Lucy, Wyatt and Chuck looked at one another. "It's that obvious?" Lucy mouthed noiselessly to her two companions.

Wyatt jumped into the gap. He leaned in conspiratorially and said, "Well, don't tell anybody, but we're actually both her bodyguards." He gestured to himself and Chuck. "She's kind of a special lady." They all moved together closer to the elevators as several elevator doors opened at once.

The younger girl said, "Are you one of the movie stars? Mom, you should make a movie about them!" Lucy's eyes went wide, she shook her head and looked at Wyatt. He held his hand in front of his mouth, shaking slightly, trying not to laugh.

The mother gave the girl an exasperated look and shook her head and exclaimed, "Jenny!" The child went on, "Can I have a lollipop now?" The mother shrugged, looking in embarrassment back to the group. She nodded at Chuck. He offered sweets to both the girls and to the mother. They chose suckers just as their place in line allowed them to get into the elevator. The six of them got into one of the cars, crowding in with four more people. With a rustling of paper, the two children opened their lollipops and started sucking on them. The mother stood with hers awkwardly in her hand. Lucy engaged the woman in conversation.

One of the other people in the car was a young boy standing near to Chuck. He said loudly to his two fathers, "They all have lollipops! Can I have a lollipop?" The men shushed the child, saying quietly "We'll get you some later, shhh...these are strangers..."

The young girl named Jenny enthusiastically added, "We don't know them either! But they gave some to us!"

Everyone on the elevator laughed. The boy's parents relented and Chuck ended up giving lollipops to everyone in the elevator. The kids tucked away seconds for later.

By the time they hurtled the final few floors towards the 39th floor, the other riders had left for their floors. Jenny spontaneously giving Chuck a hug to the knees as they left, and waving to Lucy saying "By special Lady!"

"We are going to have no dignity left at all by the end of tonight," said Lucy said relaxing against Wyatt with her arm through his. He looked down at her with affection as she put her head on his shoulder.

Chuck said, "Dignity is definitely over-rated." He was still glowing from joking with and interacting with the kids during the ride.

"Sorry we hit your reserve so hard," said Lucy, feeling a bit guilty since she started the whole affair. Chuck gave Wyatt and Lucy a huge grin. "Believe me. That experience was golden. A solid reminder of why I want to keep on living a little longer."

Wyatt kissed Lucy on the crown of her head as the doors on the elevator opened. He said quietly to her as they walked out, "What we're really missing her is privacy, not dignity."

Lucy said, "Yeah, doesn't feel much like a single date yet, more like a family outing."

Wyatt looked at her sideways, squeezing her arm against him. "Family outing, huh? I like the sound of that."

Lucy was stunned, but had no time to respond as they reached the host's station and took in the state of the restaurant. It was humming with people and waiters everywhere. The host was a stern looking older man with severely trimmed grey hair. His collar was decorated with several small pins. He gave their party a searching look. Wyatt and Lucy suddenly realized that aside from one large group of business people in suits, they were the only customers wearing anything remotely formal.

"Good evening. Party of three?"

"Two and one," said Chuck. He pointed to the bar. "I'll be all set there. Have fun you two." He winked at Lucy and Wyatt, then walked away, pulling out his phone.

"Is that your chaperone?" said the host with an eyebrow raised. Lucy looked non-plussed and deflated by it all.

Wyatt said confidently, "Table for two. With a view of the city if we can."

"I'm sorry. You have to get here early to get the best seats. The Asian American film festival is in town and you're just two of many tonight. We do have a table available now as it happens, but it's there-" he pointed to a small table close to the bar, far from the windows and far from private.

Lucy looked like even more of the wind got knocked out of her at this. Wyatt gave her a worried look and continued. "It's fine. We're grateful for it, sir. And if another table opens up, we'd be grateful if you might keep us in mind." Lucy noticed that Wyatt was standing very straight. His words were respectful but clipped and formal.

They made their way to the table lead by a server. As they sat down, Lucy closed her eyes and slumped forward in embarrassment.

"Wyatt, I am so sorry. I remembered that the only other time I was here, it was for a faculty event. We had rented the whole restaurant and it was formal attire only. I thought it was like the all the time..."

He put his hand on hers and gave her his patented half grin. "Lucy, all that matters is that I am here with you. They could all be naked. Or we could, and it wouldn't matter in the slightest to me."

Her shoulders relaxed and she gave him a glowing smile of relieve and gratitude. Then a glimmer entered her eye. "Oh, you're really saying it wouldn't matter if **we** were both naked?"

A shiver ran through Wyatt. He squeezed her hand and leaned in close, "Please hold that thought for later, Professor." He pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, then his attention was caught by something beyond her. "And, I'll be right back."

Wyatt stood, making his way back to the host's station. Lucy watched him chat with the man, his bearing still a bit odd somehow. Surprisingly, the grey haired man seemed to unbend and Wyatt's posture relaxed. They pointed in a direction and Wyatt was looking back at her, flashing her one of his heart-stopping grins and the thumbs up symbol. She gathered her bag and headed towards him. A different server lead them between tables laden with steak and fries, amongst the babble of voices and laughter, to a small table tucked right against the window.

A busser was still clearing it off, so Lucy and Wyatt stood aside to let he do her job. They looked out over the city. Wyatt's arm crept around Lucy's waist and she leaned closer to press a kiss to his neck. The dark was complete now, no glimmer of sunset. The dark of the bay extended, broken by the broken skyline of San Franciso, lights glittering beneath the velvet blue night sky.

"Hey, Wyatt, what kind of magic did you use back there to get us this spot?"

"That gentleman is a retired Army Colonel."

"What is he doing here?"

"Said it keeps him active. You know, once you get used to be being a bossy know it all, it's hard to quit."

Lucy hit him lightly. "You didn't say that to him I take it?"

"No," he pulled her close for a moment, as the busser finished setting the table, making it ready for them to finally sit, eat and relax in the romantic atmosphere. "Or else we would not have gotten this table. But then again," he kissed her forehead, "my favorite person in the world is one, so from me that is a compliment."

"You think that would have worked?" She hummed into his chest resting her cheek for a moment.

"Nope. But thankfully, I didn't have to try. He was so amused by our fancy gear that he wanted to do right by us."

They parted and moved towards the table. "Even in 2017, we're still in costume," Lucy said. "No clues about your part of tonight, still?"

"I tell you, this build up is going to spoil it, but still, no."

"You're killing me, Master Sargeant."

"Take a look at the menu and order, Professor. The sooner we eat, the sooner you'll know."

* * *

 **A/N:** Next time, Wucy gets some quality time (finally) and stumbles across a little trouble. And believe me, they will finally make it back to Wyatt's place for sexy times. Thanks for reading & please drop me a review if you have a moment. Your words mean so much!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Another leg on this odd journey that is Lucy & Wyatt's first real date. Thanks so much for reading along! Love to hear your comments & reviews. Should be at least two more chapters. And I promise, it will get steamier.

* * *

"I'll take the pork loin." "The goat cheese salad and a Merlot for me."

The waiter took the menus from their hands. The clink of glasses and clatter of silverware murmured around them. Wyatt smiled at Lucy across the table, and she responded with a lopsided grin. A silence fell between them, and Lucy looked out of the enormous window towards the city.

Wyatt kept looking at Lucy as she enjoyed the view, letting himself admire the elegant curve of her neck, imagining following it with his fingers, slipping off that dress. _Later!_ But as the silence lengthened, he began feeling tense. There was nothing to do here. No one needed anything. Lucy was just...Lucy, not playing a role, not fighting against an enemy or an emotional hurdle. What were they together when things were calm?

Lucy looked back at him and seemed to take in that his mood had shifted. She fidgeted with her bag and didn't start up the conversation right away. Wyatt racked his brain and blurted out the first thing he could think of.

"Your hair looks nice like that. I've never seen you do that before."

Lucy put her hand up and felt the side-swept braids gingerly.

"Are they still up?"

Wyatt half shrugged with great trepidity. "It looks fine to me?"

Lucy poked gently at her hair. "To be honest, I've never worn my hair this way before. Jiya did it for me and I think she used half the bottle of hair gel to keep it this way. You just saved my bacon, too." He looked at her questioningly. "I literally made her spend hours on my hair and I don't think she would have forgiven me if you hadn't noticed it at some point."

He grinned, feeling relieved. _It's just Lucy. Stop worrying._ Then he said, "You know, I went kinda off the wall waiting today, too."

"You were nervous?"

"You would not believe." They shared grins. "What were you most worried about?" Wyatt asked.

Lucy put her chin in her hand, the light of the candle on the table reflecting in her eyes and in the window beside her. Wyatt couldn't resist any more, but put out his hand to touch her cheek. Her smile in response sent a thrill down his back. _Cannot wait for tonight..._ he thought.

"Honestly, just now when that pause fell I had a terror that my worst fear was coming true. You remember that 'first date' I had with Noah?"

"The one where you were trying to see if you could fall in love with a total stranger?" Wyatt said sarcastically.

"Hey, he knew me!" Lucy shot back.

His voice became gentle and serious. "Doesn't change a thing. He knew some other version of you."

Lucy folded her hands and looked down at them. "I mean, it was me. I saw the pictures of us together, in love."

"Hey," Wyatt tilted her chin up with his finger so she looked at him. "That was some other world, some other life. Where you didn't know Amy, you didn't time travel and..." he trailed off, but she got his drift and smiled smugly at him.

"And I didn't know you."

He grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, you never met me. So Dr. Meathead ended up sweeping you off your feet. But you're not his Lucy..." he trailed off again, not sure he could keep going once again. Lucy reached out and squeezed his hand with her own.

"I'm your Lucy," she said, meeting his gaze, trying to put all the longing and hope she'd felt for months into that gaze.

Wyatt stared back, drinking in her look, trying to take in all that had happened in the past few days. It was what he had hoped for but it was hard to believe it was finally happening after all this time. The previous night he had woken in the wee hours, reaching for Lucy at his side in his now empty-seeming bed. Somehow after only sharing it with her for one night, the expanse seemed lonely without her. He realized that another silence had fallen over them, but this one spoke deeply and did not scare him any more.

He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. The waiter came back with their drinks and he reluctantly let her go.

* * *

The street was teeming and lively when they left the hotel. A theater across the street had a crowd that spilled out into the street. Chuck walked with them, lollipop in his mouth. Wyatt started exchanging travel directions with him. Lucy's attention was caught by a familiar face. The woman whose children they had befriended was crossing the street, now clad in a long dark blue dress that twinkled with beaded patterns. As she met the crowd she became accosted by fans asking for autographs, calling out questions. Two nattily dressed young people met her and ushered her into the theater.

"Guys," Lucy pointed, "I think we just had a brush with greatness." The men looked up in time to see the film maker disappear into the crowd.

Wyatt crossed over to Lucy. "Well, maybe we **should** talk to her about making a movie about us."

She looked up at him with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Wyatt and the Time Jumpers? Rufus' Spacetime Roustabouts?"

"Clearly it would be called, Lucy and the Lucky Leapers."

Chuck pitched in, "No self-respecting corporate executive would let it be named anything like that. People like snappy one or two-word titles these days. Like Atomic Blonde, Logan or Get Out."

Lucy tilted her head looking for inspiration. Then she shivered, her uncovered shoulders catching the night air. Wyatt put his jacket around her and interlaced his fingers with hers on her forearms. "Lucy, we can head out now. Unless..."

"Yes?"

"We might take a walk first."

"And find some privacy?"

"It's possible."

"Lay on MacDuff."

"Mac what?"

"They didn't teach you Shakespeare in Texas?"

"Ah ha! I'll show you Shakespeare: 'Friends, Romans, countrymen...'" Wyatt offered his arm to Lucy and proceeded to deliver the speech from Julius Ceasar. "'He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious...'" She stared wide-eyed at him.

"Wyatt! You never told me you had thespian aspirations!"

"No such luck, ma'am. But that was one of the plays we studied in high school. So perhaps show some more respect for the good educational system in Texas."

"But did they teach you about evolution?"

"The what now?" But his eyes were twinkling. Lucy shoved his shoulder. "Careful, Professor. Let's not take a tumble until we have something softer to land on."

They had reached a landing that overlooked a green space tucked between the tall buildings. Chuck hung back at this point, keeping an eye from the street level and giving them some space.

Stairs curled down around the hotel, leading to a park. Cool colored lights flickered between branches and leaves. Blue lights threaded through the railing led the way down. Tree ferns lining the walkway rustled slightly in a velvet evening wind. A group of stone mermaids at the center of a fountain glittered in shifting hues as though bedecked in rubies, emeralds, sapphires.

Lucy leaned against Wyatt savoring the slow pace of the evening. No need to race out to avoid being caught by suspicious authorities. No more than the usual concern for Rittenhouse flunkies waiting in the shadows. No need for Wyatt to even carry his usual firearm. Though, tightening her grip on his firm bicep, she felt secure in the knowledge of his ability to protect them from many threats even unarmed.

They came to the fountain. Despite the cool night air, Lucy could not resist the lure of the water. She slipped out of Wyatt's jacket and unfastened her shoes leaving them with her purse on the ground. Leaping up to the edge of the fountain, she held out her hands to the spray. Wyatt caught his breath. Having seen Lucy dump herself through windows, off horses and nearly run into airplanes, he braced himself for a splash. But though her balance wobbled, she steadied on her bare feet and he smiled to hear her laugh like a child.

The lights reflected off her skin, turning her hair red then azure. She reached out her hands and the pale skin of her flesh strobed with color. Wyatt caught his breath at the flash of her smile. _Mine. Seriously. Mine?_

She turned her back to the mermaids and he saw her shudder with cold again. Reaching out to take her hands he was about to help her jump down. He was happily anticipating putting his arms around her slight frame to warm her, when Lucy yelled, "Hey! That's mine. Drop it!"

Turning Wyatt saw a young woman crouching by Lucy's things at the fountain's. Her face was stricken with fear. Wyatt was dismayed by her expression. He glanced up to Chuck, and began searching for others who might be threatening her, or offering an ambush. He swore under his breath and his hands brushed uselessly against his side where his gun typically sat.

But while he debated a greater threat, Lucy took action for the immediate one. She leapt from the fountain and wrapped her arms around the woman as she stood and tried to race away. Wyatt watched stunned as they hit the ground together. He moved in to grasp the strange woman's wrists and allow Lucy to get up. He swore again and maneuvered the three of them to stand beside a massive fern tree, placing Lucy with her back to the tree itself.

"What were you doing?" Lucy said to the girl. Lucy hopped on her bare right foot, having grabbed her shoes on the way, she tried to re-attached the straps on her left foot. "You could have been killed!" The young woman had been looking down and away, ignoring Lucy's words at first. But on the world "killed" she pivoted and Lucy captured her attention.

"Killed?" The woman's face turned ashen, she looked at the still humorously ungainly Lucy and shook her head wondering. Then she took in the deep glare Wyatt was giving her and quailed under his gaze.

Lucy nodded, finally done with her left foot, now working on attaching the straps to the other. "Mr Delta Force here or tall dark and bodyguard up there could easily have made mincemeat out of you." Chuck was on his way down the stairs coming towards them with a grim look on his face and his hand on his gun, though it was holstered.

Wyatt said, "Hey, Lucy, it was you who took her down."

The young woman put her hands on her face. She crumpled, ending half kneeling between Wyatt and Lucy. "I am so hungry. I was turned out of my place two days ago and I don't have anywhere to go." Lucy and Wyatt exchanged concerned looks.

Chuck reached them, breathing slightly fast from his exertions. After taking in the situation, he took his hand off his gun. The young woman was crying. Lucy reached down and put her arm around her protectively.

"Chuck," Lucy said, "You got any lollipops left?"

* * *

After spending half an hour on calls to half-way houses and shelters for women, the group of them made their way back up to the hotel lobby.

"Please put this on Mason Industries' account," Wyatt told the hotel clerk.

"I can never pay you back for this!" their new friend Sarah said around the stick of a lollipop. She was alternately grateful and disbelieving.

"You don't have to. We can't find you a place to stay until tomorrow, but for tonight it's the least Mason can do. He owes us a favor or two," said Lucy.

Wyatt pretended to cough: *for saving the world for him,* cough.

The woman gave him a very strange look, and Lucy waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. Chuck, you said you knew the security staff here?" He nodded. "Sarah, we'll ask them to give you a ride tomorrow. And here—" Lucy pulled open her purse and took out a few bills. She grimaced at the low amount, and Wyatt pulled out his wallet to add to the count. Lucy gave him a grateful smile and turned to the young woman.

"I can't accept this." Sarah put out her hands to ward away the bills.

Lucy took Sarah's hands and put the bills in them. She looked her directly in the eyes. "Yes, you can. Because we have all been there. Where our survival depended on the kindness of strangers. This is just your turn to be helped."

Wyatt said, "I'd listen to her if I was you. She doesn't take no for an answer, believe me." He flashed his dimpled grin at the young woman. Sarah looked at him dazzled, then looked back from to Lucy, overwhelmed by the attention, with tears starting to form in her eyes. She shook her head wonderingly. "Okay. Thank you, both." And as Chuck stepped up she said,"All of you."

"I'll catch up with you two," Chuck said, "And see **you** safely to your room." He handed Sarah the key & waved a careless good bye to Wyatt and Lucy as they walked back toward the elevators.

* * *

"Can you believe..?" "What was that?"

Lucy and Wyatt had made it back to the hotel garage, finally. Sitting in Mason's fancy little car they held hands over the cherry burl inlaid stick-shift. They laughed softly together, until Lucy turned serious. "I wouldn't change anything that kept us from helping that girl, but we haven't ruined your surprise, have we?"

Wyatt pulled her hand to his lips, kissed it and glanced at the elegant black & white analog clock ticking soothingly away in the dash.

"Nope. We won't have as much time to enjoy it as I'd planned, but we haven't missed it yet." He tucked her hand against his chest, cradling it with both of his.

"Shouldn't we get going then?" She asked.

Wyatt sighed. "It's just hard to think about sharing you more tonight." She leaned in and he met her lips half-way.

They clung together, forgetting the time, the odd events of the evening, and pretty much anything except the feel of each other's skin. His arms came around her, hers rested on his chest. Lucy ran her fingers down his neck and melted at the sound of the soft groan he gave in response. She tugged at his already loosened tie, and undid the top button, softly caressing the triangle at the base of his throat. He broke his lips away from hers, pressing small kisses to her cheek and forehead as he pulled back.

He met her gaze. His pupils were dilated. She saw his pulse in his neck. He gulped to gather himself and said, "One last stop before home?"

She ran her finger along his lower lip and said, "One last stop."


	5. Chapter 5

They sped across town as though Emma were after them. The traffic was light, with the omnipresent slow down at the bridge being the only delay. Lucy settled back in the car seat once more, her mouth was still tingling from Wyatt's kiss. She looked out at the cars flashing by and then let herself watch him as he drove. He was focused on the road. She luxuriated in watching his profile undisturbed. He had reclaimed his jacket and the dapper archaic lines of the dark brown suit accentuated the strength of his shoulders. She got a flash of the six-button waistcoat as he shifted gears. She started imagining her own fingers unbuttoning the garment one by one...

"You warm enough?" Wyatt asked. Despite the flames licking inside her, realized she was actually quite chilled. She was holding her bare arms with her hands. The cold from the fountain and the night air seemed to have settled into her bones.

"How about clicking that hot seat on again?" she said. He complied and moments later she was curled up into the soft leather upholstery cozy and content.

"I could really get used to this...I feel like I should be purring." Lucy turned in the seat restraint and snuggled up facing Wyatt. Wyatt glanced over and caught the long pale line of her legs peeking out from beneath her skirt. Remembering his lesson from earlier, after his brief glance he kept his eyes on the road.

Lucy looked down at her skirt as well, "Damn! I've torn it." She tugged on the edges of the skirt, but the front slit which had fallen below her knee earlier, now rose perilously close to mid thigh. "You can't take me anywhere!"

"Well, considering you tore it in the line of duty, I'd say that just makes it all the sexier."

Lucy gulped, still getting used to the directness of their flirtation. Falling back on old patterns she decided to rib him, "My catching our poor mugger didn't threaten your masculine pride did it? Or detract from the charms of my deliciate femininity?"

Wyatt snorted. "Delicate femininity that kicked my ass in basketball? That shot Jesse James? Ma'am, I do believe you are trying to pull my leg."

Lucy muttered something quietly. "What was that?" Wyatt asked.

She responded quietly, "That's not quite what I had in mind."

Wyatt nearly missed stopping at a light that suddenly blinked from yellow to red. The engine in the eletric vehicle clicked off, saving energy by turning off during the stop. Wyatt's head turned slowly to face Lucy, and he very deliberately put the car in neutral and engaged the parking brake. He leaned over the seat and kissed Lucy soundly. As he leaned back to his own place, he touched the bare turn of her shoulder lightly. Then he smoothed his fingers across her lips and hair.

As he turned back to the road, Wyatt realized that the close cut pants of his suit were tight in ways he had not anticipated when starting this drive. He fought to bring his heart rate down to a reasonable rhythm and yearned for the end of the night to bring sweet resolution to the desire running through his body. For her part, Lucy sat back dazed and aroused by the intensity of Wyatt's kiss. She blinked and said weakly, "I thought flirting and driving don't mix?"

Wyatt shot the car off beneath the now green light. "They so don't," he said throatily. He grimaced, shifting in his seat and she realized the source of his discomfort. Lucy blushed hotly and looked away.

"Wyatt...?" she began. He cut her off sharply, "Don't." Then he continued more gently, "I mean, don't blame yourself. Let's just focus on getting there so you can be properly charmed or hopelessly disappointed by my surprise, then we can talk and... I'll be able to drive more responsibly in the future."

Another smart remark occurred to Lucy, but she bit her lip instead. _Jiya is going to love this story. If I can tell her any of it._

They arrived safely at a somewhat hip part of town. Bright and trendy clubs flashed blue and pink. Lines of sexily attired customers wound around the block. Lucy's eyes widened.

"This? You're bringing us to this? Well, you've succeeded. I **am** surprised."

"No," he rumbled, half-laughing. "We'll park here. The place is down an alley a ways back."

"Count me intrigued."

Lucy tucked her arm in the crook of Wyatt's elbow as they strolled along. The scratchy suit fibers under her fingertips brought back memories of the first time she'd hugged him in 1893 in the Murder Castle. She tasted the adrenaline and fear again in her memory. The darkness of the alleyway and the ancient brick of the buildings around her reminded her of that basement. She relived the feeling of his hand clasping her neck as he hugged her that day, the relieved sigh he gave as he thanked God she was alive. She hugged Wyatt's arm tighter in her hold and shuddered to think what might have happened if she'd not been able to get Houdini's help. _How have I kept myself away from him all this time?_ At that moment,Wyatt looked over at her affectionately and her heart skipped a beat. _At least we survived long enough to get here together..._ They turned a corner and Lucy began to get an inkling of their destination.

At the back of the dark brick building were a set of doors that would have looked right at home in Paris or Chicago of the 1930s. Textured amber glass crossed by bold black lines clearly spoke of eras gone by to Lucy. A discrete hand-lettered sign held the word "Citrine," and steps beyond the golden doorway lead down a rabbit hole into the past. Wyatt's face took on a half-smirk as Lucy gasped at the sight of this doorway.

"Now I see..." said Lucy

"Oh, you ain't seen nothing yet," said Wyatt. He strode ahead to open the door for Lucy, then offered his hand to help her down the steps inside.

The doors at the bottom of the stair opened into a wide room with a surprisingly tall ceiling. Sconces and cut glass reflected lights with a warm muted glow that brought Lucy back to their time in Paris. _Wyatt missed that,_ she remembered. A long bar was tended by a woman wearing a white button-down shirt with suspenders and arm garters. Copper, brass and clear glass showed off the modest array of liquors behind her, much unlike the rainbow of drinks that would be seen in the 20th century. Small tables were settled in descending rows surrounding a dance floor and stage where saxophone, trumpet and piano rollicked with a rhythm guitar keeping time to "This Joint is Jumping." Couples and groups of people chatted at the tables, or moved in time to the music. Women's short skirts swung, hips swayed. Partners twirled and dipped.

Wyatt said, "Shall we dance?"

Lucy raised an eyebrow as she looked to Wyatt. "Your next surprise is that you've learned the jitterbug, I take it?"

Wyatt bit his lip and looked out at the dancers. "Will you be disappointed if I tell you, no?" he said.

She quirked a sideways smile at him and shook her head. "No. More like relieved. I'm enjoying the ambiance, but I don't know if I have that in me after our little excursion to the park."

A young gentleman in livery and pillbox hat approached them carrying a traditional cigarette-girl tray, but offered instead a selection of chocolate truffles. He assured them they were artisanally prepared with free-trade chocolate. Wyatt pulled out his wallet and purchased a white chocolate confection for himself while Lucy picked out one that was rolled in hazelnut and candied cherry shards. Lucy put it in her mouth and gave out an involuntary "ahhh" of delight, closing her eyes. She felt Wyatt take her free hand and opened her eyes to see him watching her raptly.

She blinked back at him and smiled devilishly. Leaning close, she breathed a question into his ear, "I've found one of your weak spots, haven't I?" She bit his earlobe very lightly. "You're a sucker for watching a girl enjoy her food, huh? Just like when we ate those strawberries with cream."

Wyatt gulped. When her teeth closed lightly on his ear he felt a jolt of electricity run down his body. The hand holding hers came around her waist without his bidding. He nodded in response to her words and turned his face to hers. The look of hunger in his eyes flashed a desire that left her breathless. They stood there falling into each other's eyes, untroubled by the murmur of the crowd around them. Clapping shook through the room as the band finished its piece. Lucy touched her hand to Wyatt's cheek as a spotlight hit the stage and beyond them a figure in a white tuxedo with tails arrested the eye.

They stood there staring into one another's eyes, until Wyatt broke the moment by leaning forward and giving her a sweet peck on the cheek. She thought of Clive Barrow kissing Bonnie Parker. Wyatt's color was high, his eyes were bright. "I'm about ready to kiss you properly right here and now, Lucy, but I'm afraid we'd become a bigger spectacle than the performer. How about we table this and take a seat?" Lucy nodded.

Joining a few of the flushed, happily breathless couples still leaving the dance floor, Lucy and Wyatt threaded their way through a sea of raised glasses and rapt eyes. They heard a musical, gravelly voice say, "To love, to art and desire. What gets us through these dark days together." The audience members around them drank, murmuring their agreement. An oboe in the band struck up a haunting melody and the band began to play.

Wyatt and Lucy saw a small round table just at the edge of the dance floor. Lucy rushed wanting to be out of the way. She wobbled on her heels just as she reached her seat. Wyatt deftly took her arm and pulling the chair out eased Lucy into it. She gave him a grateful glance, and he ran a warm hand across her bare shoulders as they settled down to take in this next round of entertainment.

They could see now that the figure on the stage was a woman. Her slim figure was elegant in her white tuxedo. This blinding outfit was rounded out by a snow white top hat and tie. A blood red rose on her lapel matched the deep red of her lips. The band purred on and she began to sing a stirring song in French. Lucy's attention was captured. She watched as the singer stalked across the state, followed by a deep spotlight. Wyatt, meanwhile, had eyes for nothing and no one but his Lucy.

Lucy leaned against Wyatt's shoulder and translated for him. He sighed, deeply content. "the sky can fall down, the earth cave in, it doesn't matter if you love me...I would go to the end of the Earth, dye my hair...pull down the moon..leave my home, my friends, if you asked me to..."

"She must love him," Wyatt breathed.

Lucy smiled and quirked a half smile at him, "Or her." She looked back at the singer, and their eyes locked. As the song came to a crescendo, the figure and her white halo headed across the floor towards Lucy and Wyatt. Ending on a stirring note, the audience began clapping, calling for more. The singer raised her hand acknowledging the crowd. Then she plucked the rose from her lapel. She raised it in salute to Lucy, her smile taking in both of the time travelers.

Lucy nodded, coloring slightly at the attention, then her eyes opened wide as the singer stepped to her side and offered her the flower. Lucy accepted it, her eyes dazzled by the pillar of light that engulfed her with the performer's proximity. Then with a wry smile to Wyatt and quirking a raised eyebrow, she wordlessly asked Lucy's permission to steal a kiss. Lucy, transfixed by the singer's wide eyes and scarlet mouth nodded. White hat tipped up, raven hair was brushed back by the soft olive-hued hand that touched Lucy's neck lightly. Their lips touched. Another round of applause and cheering ran through the audience. Lucy blushed furiously. She looked to Wyatt with surprise and concern emerging in her eyes.

He had a smile on his lips. He lifted her hand that held the rose, brought it close to her face. "I do believe you match this flower now, ma'am."

A wide smile crossed her face. He went on, "This is just right."

"This?" She gestured to the cafe. "Yes, I agree. They did an amazing job reproducing the period."

He chuckled, "Well, if you say so, I believe it. But what I meant, was that it was perfect to see you getting to enjoy this. Whenever we go to the past, your eyes light up. You are in your element. But we're always one step ahead of a flying bullet, or tragedy waiting to happen. I just wanted to give you a moment to enjoy what you love without all the cost."

Lucy's heart clenched and she had no response but to pull him close to her. As they sat, sweetly entangled, a new song began and couples stepped onto the dance floor. The band played a mellow, romantic tune and the singer, now returned to the band stand, crooned along.

Wyatt placed a kiss to Lucy's head and said, "Shall we try our luck at this one?" She nodded her agreement still not trusting her voice.

They stood and joined the dancers. Lucy fit perfectly in Wyatt's arms. He spent the first few moments counting in his head, then the muscle memory took over and he lead her in the boxstep the song required. Lucy leaned her head on his shoulder, content and thinking of nothing. As they spun across the floor, Wyatt noticed more than a few eyes following them drawn, he was sure, to Lucy. He saw delighted, amused and envious looks sent her way. _She would've turned heads even without that kiss._ Holding her hand to his heart he felt right for the first time since he got the call from the police that February night. _Jessica, I think you'd be happy for me._

Lucy felt Wyatt's arms around her and that was all she knew, all she needed. She raised her head and looked in to his eyes. The world around her disappeared. Wyatt gazed into Lucy's chocolate eyes and felt his heart clench. _What would I do without her?_ He held her closer still, as though she would melt away into the night. They circled close to the band, music swelling around them. Lucy held his gaze and mouthed words silently, knowing he would not be able to hear her above the instruments. She said, "I love you."

Overwhelmed with emotion, Wyatt closed the remaining distance between them and pressed his forehead to hers before claiming her mouth right there on the dance floor. Lucy opened her mouth in welcome, and they fell still on the dance floor. Lucy's arms pressed Wyatt's chest to hers. Wyatt held her like glass, his fingers touching her bare shoulder lightly.

After a moment all too short, they pulled back from the kiss, eyes smoldering and wanting more. They were brought back to themselves by the sound of laughter and the light clapping of hands of onlookers nearby. Grinning in chagrin, they gave a small curtsey and bow.

"Time to head home, Wyatt?" Lucy asked breathlessly. He just nodded, holding her eyes with his saying all he could not. They made their way off the dance floor. Lucy took one last look around before they left. "We'll be back," said Wyatt.

As they walked down the alleyway, Wyatt texted Chuck their destination. Lucy felt like she was floating. As soon as he was done with the phone, she reclaimed his arm and she pulled him aside, taking liberties with his mouth, and his neck. "I can't help it," she said, You are so beautiful." His hand smoothed down the curve of her dress and he responded kissing her soundly. Then he took a deep breath and pulled them onward.

They reached the car. Wyatt opening the door for Lucy could not resist and tasted her lips. She braced herself against the car, his hands on her back, her hips. The streetlamp illuminated the white curve of her neck. He followed its line with kisses down to her shoulder, brushing the curve of her breast.

Lucy whimpered, a shudder passing through her and her arms going limp. Wyatt retreated, kissing her lips, and she tangled her hand in his hair. In a break between kisses, he said, "Shall we take this somewhere more private?"

Her eyes dark, Lucy nodded. "Yes, please.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks to Alodis for your help with the end of this chapter! Thank you all for reading. Hope you enjoy this little time-travel free dip into the past for wucy. The singer is of course inspired by Marlene Dietrich in Morocco. One of the sexiest moments in movie history IMO. For anyone just joining, this is the continuation of my other stories Perspective and Talk to Me, so the Jess comment & reminiscence that Wyatt has is in context of all that. Thanks for reading, and as always I live for your comments & reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

"Wyatt, um, sweetheart that's not going to work..."

Suspended in his arms, Lucy clung closer to Wyatt's neck. He shifted her to turn the key in the door knob and open the door to his apartment. She was laughing as he bounced her up against him to get a better hold. It crossed his mind that their security guard Chuck (or would Margot have taken over?) would be amused by them as well. But he'd gotten the romantic notion of carrying her into the house in his head and he was damned if he was going to let a little thing like gravity get in his way at this point.

"I've almost got it..."

They burst into the living room in a flurry of fabric, hormones and gasping laughter. Wyatt twirled Lucy around and pushed at the door to close it with his foot.

"Okay, macho man, you can set me down now," Lucy said, but simultaneously ran her fingers up his neck and into the hair at the base of his skull.

He grinned into her eyes and bent his forehead down to touch hers. "Okay, that's what you really want, huh?" He leaned back against the closed door. In an unconscious reflex, he positioned them away from the windows and out of view of the street.

"Um, yes," Lucy said unpersuasively, but then his lips were so close she claimed them with hers and forgot about his question for a while. She luxuriated in the feel of Wyatt's lips and memorized the sounds he made as she explored his jaw and neck with soft nibbles and the occasional nip. It occurred to her that she should be worried about him dropping her, but the steady grip beneath her was unchanged, sending an additional surge of attraction and desire through her. _Finally,_ she thought. The many times he'd held her securely or braced her against danger flashed through her mind. _It is just like I'd hoped._

His voice broke into her ruminations. He gave a strangled sounding cough and said, "This is not fair."

"Fair, Master Sergeant? Should it be?" She focused attention on his left earlobe releasing a new series of extremely gratifying sighs from him.

When she relented, he took a deep breath and went on, "It doesn't **have** to be, but it sure is one-sided this way, don't you think?" He squeezed her ribs and the thigh which were all his hands could touch.

"You can put me down any time," she purred running her around the base of his neck now, threading her fingers between the stiff white collar of his period suit and the soft skin of his neck.

His eyes fluttered with feeling at her touch. When he opened them again he locked his gaze with hers, "I've kind of got my eyes on the prize, here. I am so close to getting you into my bed. Right. Now."

Lucy felt a rush of intoxication race through her body like uncorked champagne bubbles. The sensation of aroused warmth between her legs erupted into a white hot heat of urgency. She kissed him and said into his lips, "Yes, yes. Yes. Now."

And he was off, carrying her across the living room, down the short hall and into the darkness of his room. She braced herself to be tossed onto the mattress as an extension of his swift movement, but instead she found herself lowered slowly and carefully onto foot of his bed. She traced the lines of the Lone Star quilt beneath her. It had sheltered them together the first night she'd spent in this room. _No going slow now this time,_ she exulted.

He left her side momentarily to switch on the reading light on the bureau. By its dim light he rejoined her and knelt beside the bed where she now sat. He placed his hands on her ankles.

"You don't have to do that," Lucy leaned down to make short work of the complicated sandals, but he captured her hand and kissed it lightly. She squinted at the darkness that was his face, catching a stray reflection of the light in his eyes. The sudden glimmer of blue.

"I have to admit that I've been a bit fascinated by these things all night." He traced the leather strap with his fingers to find the buckle while his other hand traveled lightly up her calf. She caught her breath and considered relaxing into his ministrations but could not resist another quip.

"So you're into that, are you? I'll have to be more inventive in my requests for footwear to Mason Industries." He chuckled, not baited. She was disappointed for a moment. But only until she felt him bend his head down, nuzzling her knee. He won her foot free and placed a line of firm kisses to her ankle and the arch of her sole. She actually cried out when he ghosted his breath across her toes and caught her pinkie toe in his mouth, suckling gently. She caught her breath as he took her other shoe off, tossing them both away, saying, "So, you're into that, are you?" He clasped her in his arms, claiming room on the bed beside her. His hands finally free clamped her to him, his mouth exploring hers with a fierce hunger.

His sudden ferocity, at odds with his gentleness immediately prior, sent Lucy into a similar frenzy. She began tugging at his tie, searching for access to the base of his throat and his chest. Moving away suddenly, Wyatt whipped off his jacket and started unbuttoning his waistcoat. Lucy hovered with impatience as he stripped off the inner vest. She finished loosening his tie, unbuttoning his shirt even before he was done. Stripping back the layers, she exposed his white undershirt. The fabric clung to the planes of his chest, exposing rather than hiding his taut nipples. She cursed the darkness under her breath keeping her from glorying in the sight of him. _Time for that tomorrow,_ she promised herself.

She kept going, loosening the undershirt from his waist band. "This is not period you realize?"

She felt his warm, strong fingers grasp her upper arms,"Of all the...you are not going to lecture me about this now, are you? Besides," she heard his voice shift from incredulity into curiousity, "I thought they wore undershirts by then? I had one on in 1934."

Getting it over his head she gave an exultant smile he could barely see. "My star pupil. Actually, you are right. It's a toss up as to whether you should be wearing a union suit, or something pretty much like what you had on now, minus any synthetic material or stitching." She moved close, rolling her legs onto his lap wanting, but unable despite the tear in her skirt, to wrap her legs around him. She contented herself with wrapping her arms around him and continuing her lecture between kisses she laid on his now bare chest. His hand combed through her hair, catching in tension every so often as she found a particularly sensitive spot.

"There's a great story about when briefs were introduced. It was at a department store in Chicago. Despite a blizzard, they sold out immediately," she reached his nipple and lavished some attention on it. Then she came up for air, "It's said they sold over 30,000 pairs in the first three months."

Wyatt had been relaxing under her attentions. The sight of Lucy Preston playing with his chest interspersed with a history lesson felt dreamlike, but the very real pressure of her lips and teeth on his nipple brought the heart-stopping reality of it home. Her thigh swept over his groin which was still captured in the tight, tailored trousers of his suit. The pale of her shoulders stood out in the darkness against the black of her plunging neckline. Her expression was a mystery to him as the light from behind them shrouded her in darkness. His hand slid down the length of her, settling on her hips, rubbing and kneading. He gasped out, "Lucy..."

She looked up closely at him. Now he could see a Cheshire Cat's grin on her lips. He said, "I see bold Lucy is back. So maybe, she won't mind if I ask for a peek at your underwear. Since we are on the topic."

Her grin increased and she shifted, pulling up her skirt as far as it would ride. She half-kneeled on the bed with one leg still draped over his lap, "I like the sound of that—oh!" She gasped in surprise as he lifted her up to stand again, smothering her shoulders and cleavage with kisses. She felt his hands on her back, searching for the zipper and she led his hands to the goal. With a shushing sound the black sheath was released and she stood her ground despite her misgivings about what he'd find underneath: her smooth bare legs, her most presentable but far from sexy black underwear, and the beige push-up bra she'd gotten for a colleague's wedding and never gotten around to replacing. Her shy side reared its head at his scrutiny. She looked away as he drank her in and began running his hand gently across the curves of her body.

"I'm sorry this isn't fancier," she said, "There were some things I found from this timeline," she wrinkled her nose remembering the lay red and black garments, "but the thought of her, I mean me, wearing them for Noah turned my stomach. So I was stuck with these." She gestured to her body.

Wyatt broke off mid caress, the thought of Noah touching Lucy striking him like a gunshot. A red hot bullet of jealous, irrational rage at the freedom the doctor had with the Lucy of this timeline plowed through Wyatt. He crashed his mouth down onto hers, pulling her to him, guiding her legs up around his waist, bearing her weight again but with full freedom of both hands to follow the paths he'd dreamed of so many times. Gentling after a few moments, he kissed her eyes, her temple, reverently, "You never have to apologize to me, Lucy. Not for anything."

Tears sprang to Lucy's eyes. She kissed him like it was the first time all over again. Their bodies ground together. Any space between them seemed suddenly too far, fabric a needless barrier. Falling side by side onto the bed, Wyatt reached across Lucy to a drawer, pulling out the fresh box of condoms. Lucy kissed his chest as he struggled with the cardboard. Then she said quietly, "You don't need it."

His eyes opened wide and he stared at her, "I mean, it's soon to..."

She suppressed a laugh that warred with the look of intense desire on her face, "No, silly. I've got a ring." At his confused look she actually laughed and went on, "It's a contraceptive. And unless you are rocking any STDs, we are good to go." She chuckled again at his look of relief and head shake, and pulled him close as he put his arms back around her. "My god your expression. Did you think that I was talking about Noah again?"

He mock-growled at her, rolling her over so that her now-naked body rested on top of his. She fought to listen to his words amidst the sensations the feel of holding his body against hers was arousing in her. "Noah, Noah—If I never hear his name again that will be too soon." Lucy was concerned. He was joking, but still..

She put her hand on his cheek, "Wyatt, you're not jealous are you?"

Blue eyes rolled down and looked away for a moment. "I shouldn't be. But somehow.."

Feeling more in control, Lucy raised her leg, rubbing along the tender length of Wyatt beneath her. "You definitely shouldn't be. He has never," she place his hand on her breast, shuddering at the contact herself, "never touched me, never loved me, I have never been his."

"Not this you," Wyatt couldn't help whispering.

"Not any me that matters. Seriously, are we doing this?" Wyatt shook his head in response. He seemed to shake off the mood that had hit him and kissed Lucy on the lips, tasting her tongue with his, responding to the rhythm she had set with the contact of her leg and mimicking it with his body against hers.

"No," he said firmly. "It just never sank in so deeply before. But it's done."

A wicked grin crossed her face, then contorted in pleasure. "Sinking in, I like that idea. I can get behind that."

"Oh you can, can you?" All conversation stopped as they found all the pleasures they'd been seeking and many more together.

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you so much for reading! There will be one more chapter here, of afterglow. And be on the look out for the a bit more explicit version of this chapter to come over at AO3. Thank you for all your comments and reviews, here and on Perspective & Talk to Me!


	7. Chapter 7

Lucy woke the next morning to find Wyatt beside her. His head was buried in the pillow but his arm was tucked snugly around her waist. Pleasant memories drifted through her mind. She stroked her fingers along his arm, tracing his muscles, and luxuriated in the feel of his skin against hers. She found herself praying that Emma's break would last a bit longer. She could almost feel the fracture to her spirit begin to heal. Shredded pieces of her life started to make sense in the warmth and confidence of the man laying along side of her.

When she could delay no more, she got up and used the bathroom. Appalled at her own lack of planning in not bringing any clothes but her evening wear, she grabbed Wyatt's dress shirt and tugged it over her arms, buttoning it slowly. The tail of the shirt dangled low on her, and the scent of.. _can I say my man?_...blossomed in her nostrils. Swishing water around in her mouth a few moments later, she already found herself making a list of things to keep there. _Toothbrush, hair brush, change of clothes, workout things..._ She chuckled at her own presumption, but some of the things Wyatt had whispered in her ear in the wee hours of the morning made her think that her plans would be welcome.

She tip-toed back into the room, trying not to wake Wyatt. The quiet and the coziness were too precious. He had shifted while she was gone. She peered through the dim light after closing the door, picking her way around their piled clothing. She shifted the sheet slowly, pulling it from beneath his arm. After considering dropping Wyatt's shirt again, a combination of shyness and sentimentality made her keep it on. She snuggled against his shoulder, and was surprised to see him open his eyes calmly, placing his arm proprietarily around her. His hand spanned half her waist and with it he tugged her hips and waist into close contact with his body once more.

"You're awake?" said Lucy, snugging into the curves of his body.

Wyatt nodded. "Yup. I pretty much always wake up when you or Rufus get up in the night on missions, and then you're not even in the same bed with me. I'm a light sleeper on deployment."

"And at home, it seems." Lucy ran her fingers through his hair. "Sorry to ruin your beauty sleep."

He kissed her temple. "Wouldn't change it. It's my job to protect you and anything can go wrong, even in the middle of the night. This morning when you left the bed, I missed you," he whispered. His other hand came around her and began exploring her hair. Turning all the way towards her, he kissed her lips thoroughly but slowly, then worked his way down her neck. Lucy quivered. When he reached the shirt, he chuckled and said, "I like your tailor."

Breathlessly, Lucy tried to stir herself to an answering quip. All she should come up with was, "You should see the other guy..."

Laying her on her back, he smoothed the shirt open so that it lay along her sides. He worshiped her with his eyes, then ran his hands across her chest, warming her skin. She felt tension in her body ease, even as the charge of attraction she felt increased with each touch of his hands on her sensitive skin.

She looked down at him with languid eyes in the lightening room. "You are so good."

The half grin turned on full, and his dimples made an appearance. "Oh, just you wait."

Later, after holding each other in the aftermath of their passion, Lucy asked Wyatt, "So that thing you did. Where on earth did you learn it?"

Holding her against him, stroking her hair tenderly, he grinned and said, "Which thing?" She rolled her eyes and batted ineffectually at his shoulder. "Oh my god, that thing you did with your hand, just before..."

"Oh, that thing." He grinned wider and kissed the top of her head.

"You are insufferable. Here I am praising you, and all you can do is gloat smugly."

"Well, it does sound like you had a good time."

"Come on, Wyatt. We were both there. I think we both about died and went to heaven."

"No arguments here."

"Okay, so," she shifted so she could look into his eyes, wondering why he was avoiding answering, "so give. What's your secret oh Don Juan?"

A serious expression came over his face and he said quietly, "This might not be the right time to talk about it."

Lucy laughed and said, "Well when exactly?" Then her face became serious, too. "Jess? It was Jessica, wasn't it."

His arms tightened around her. He didn't say anything, only nodded.

Lucy lay against him, thinking and feeling about her reaction to that knowledge. She toyed with letting the moment pass, then realized this was just the beginning of many years, a lifetime hopefully, of moments like this. Would she close each door? Hope the darkness would pass?

Instead she said, "Tell me."

"What?" Wyatt had drifted off slightly. His body warmed and calmed by the feel of Lucy in his arms. He shook off the languor and asked, "Are you sure?"

She looked up into his eyes again and nodded. "I want to know it all."

His lips took hers, looking for comfort and confirmation. He seemed to find it for when their lips broke apart again, he began, "Did I tell you that Jessica fought for women's rights, particularly about abortion and family planning?"

Lucy's eyes opened wide, "In Texas?" He nodded. "What strength of conviction..."

Wyatt closed his eyes in memory. "Yes. That is the word exactly. She had such strength. And such a little thing. But a lion, not a mouse, ever." He looked in Lucy's eyes to measure how his words were affecting her. He shifted his body so hers fit more exactly within the bend of his arm, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder. She smiled and he went on.

"So, well, she took the whole thing seriously. Women controlling their bodies. Women knowing their bodies. Women..."

Unexpectedly, Lucy felt like she was going to laugh. "Women taking control of their own pleasure?"

Wyatt gulped and nodded. Lucy could see the embarrassment on his face. She wanted to relent, but it seemed right somehow for him to be off balance telling her this. Made the playing field more even somehow, as she faced the shade of his dead wife. Lucy leaned in.

"So," she started chuckling, "wait, you mean you went to a sexual surrogate?"

"What?" Wyatt huffed out, "No! That's when you go to somebody who, I mean, when you have..with..? No we definitely didn't do that." He was a distinct shade of pink now.

Lucy decided to gentle her attack. She said soothingly, "So, what, then?"

"It was classes," Wyatt clarified.

"Like at a college?"

He scrunched up his face, remembering. "You know one of them was on a college campus. I did not care for that one. It was all kind of spiritual-ly? They talked about tantra and energy going up our spines or something. In a huge room full of couples. It seemed pretty flaky to me. And super embarrassing."

Lucy held her hand over her mouth, suppressing a laugh. Wyatt felt her shake and peered at her suspiciously. He poked her lightly in the side and she burst out, "I'm just imagining you trying to 'wake the serpent'.." she collapsed into giggles.

He shook his head and rolled his eyes at her, then said, "Hey, that sounds a lot like you've been to one of those classes, too." Lucy nodded, wiping her eyes. "Of course. I was an undergrad once. I found it pretty fun, but I wasn't dragged there by a partner, I was just, you know, exploring my own sexual identity."

"Sounds like you and Jess would have gotten along fine," he hugged Lucy, feeling the sadness again for a moment. Then it passed and he went on. "The one that worked for me was with a therapist. It was one on one, with the two of us."

Lucy kissed his arm where it lay by her neck, and corrected him pertly, "I believe that would be one on two." She had seen the expression in his eye when he said Jessica's name again and wanted to inject some lightness back into the mood.

He grinned, "Thanks for keeping me honest, ma'am. 'One on two,' then. She walked us through some issues we'd been having, and helped us open up more and experiment together. And..." he struggled to weed through the memories, some of which he'd not thought of for years, lost in the burden of pain and loss. "And we both learned something. I'm definitely grateful. Never would have done that on my own."

"Never?"

"No way, not ever."

"I thought you were the one who said, 'never say never, again?'" Lucy smiled broadly and gave his shoulder a playful nip.

He turned to her, holding her more fully in his arms again, shifting gears to the moment at hand, leaving the past behind, "Well, I must stand to correct **you** , now, ma'am. Since it was Mr. Ian Fleming who said the first part. Are you mixing me up with James Bond, by any chance?" His hands started exploring her curves once more.

Lucy grinned, responding to his touch and returning his explorations with some of her own, "Now, aside from the obvious godlike body, being handy with a weapon, and having all the girls go gaga over you, I don't know how I could ever confuse you two."

He took a break from spreading open mouthed kisses down her wrist to say, "You think the girls all go gaga over me?"

"That's what you focus on there?" Lucy retorted.

"Well, you're not gonna argue that I'm not handy with a weapon. I do think godlike body is maybe pushing it a bit. And, I mean, gaga?"

"It's not just guys who look at you like you're a piece of meat."

"Any complaints from you?"

"Not so long as I'm the one who gets to unwrap you."

"I don't think I like where this metaphor is going!"

Lucy kissed him deeply then said, "Boring conversation anyway." And they didn't talk again for quite a while.

* * *

Later that morning, they did actually get out of bed. Lucy borrowed the draw-string sweat pants she'd worn to play basketball, and a t-shirt with the US Army logo. The shirt was form-fitting on Wyatt but on Lucy the length had her already scoping it out to keep as a night shirt. They ate cereal together in the living room, exchanging silly glances and scooting close together on the couch as they watched cartoons. After finishing her bowl, Lucy curled up against Wyatt, practically purring.

"This is the best sleepover party ever."

Wyatt, slurping his milk, trying to finish up so he could cuddle Lucy properly said, "Well, its a bit of an x-rated one." He put the bowl down and shifted his arms around Lucy. She reached up to kiss him and they were distracted from the show for some minutes.

"That," she said as they came up for air, "is what makes it the best ever. I mean, when me and my girl friends got together, all we did was talk about the cuties we had crushes on. If I could go back and tell Virginia about this, she'd be so jealous it's not even funny."

Rubbing his hand down her back, Wyatt said contentedly, "Well, I'm happy to be your trophy. Whatever it takes. Dodging bullets, jumping through time, crushing little girls' spirits. I'm here for you, Professor." He gave her a kiss on the nose, then tucked her head under his chin.

Lucy watched the show with little attention. She saw a brightly colored super hero team take on a squad of villains in black and green. Her focus drifted and she started thinking about Emma, when their next jump might be and some research leads she wanted to follow up with Agent Christopher about. Then another though occurred to her.

"Wyatt?"

He gave a kiss to the the crown of her head. "Yes?"

"So are we going to tell everyone?"

A commercial came on, a happy family climbed on to a sailboat as crawling text gave warning of life changing side effects from taking the advertised drug. "You mean about us? I don't think we have to worry to much about that."

She looked up at him, "What do you mean?"

"Well, between Jiya and Rufus being pretty much in on it all, to Chuck and our security detail having a detailed itinerary of our date night, I suspect we may be hearing back intellingence reports about our night with tidbits **we** don't know about yet."

Lucy covered her face with her hand. "You're not serious, I hope?"

Wyatt chuckled, "Totally serious." As she continued to crouch against him, he got worried, paused the television and said, "Lucy, what's up?"

She sat up, leaning on her hands and looking down. "This opens up a whole new can of worms." She paused and then faced, Wyatt, resting her hand on his shoulder to borrow some strength. "Okay, so it will be a little embarrassing to have folks making faces at us and congratulating us, but Jiya and Rufus seem to be doing okay with all that." He nodded encouragingly at her and she went on. "But what about the fact that we are going on these missions together. How will we handle making jumps, and worrying about each other? Or..." her expression washed over with panic, "what if they make us jump separately?" She felt a constricting feeling in her chest. Her stomach started making flip flops. Her hand on his shoulder tightened.

Wyatt was right there with his response, "Not gonna happen." He put his hands on her shoulders and looked right in her eyes. "That's not an option."

"What do you mean?" Lucy looked at him out of dazed eyes, she was reliving the realization of losing Amy. Imagining that happening with Wyatt. Or worse... She froze, turning inward.

"Lucy? Are you with me?" Wyatt pulled her to him and swore under his breath. He rubbed her back, chaffing her suddenly cold hands. Lucy finally nodded her head against his chest.

"Yeah..." She pushed her self away slightly, looked in his eyes. "I can't face losing you. Not after everything." She touched his face.

A dark cloud of anger suffused Wyatt's face. She looked scared and he closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I'm not angry at you." When his eyes opened, she saw a look in them she'd seen once before, when he returned to them after escaping the black ops detention site. "I swear to god I am going to end Rittenhouse for what it's done to you. If it's the last thing I do."

Now Lucy closed her eyes. When she opened them, her eyes glittered with moisture. She reached up and touched his face again. His expression gentled in the face of her sadness.

"Wyatt, we've all lost so much. I don't want you to swear vengeance. I don't want our lives to become a vendetta. I just want to know that we're not going to take the chance that we might go into the Lifeboat someday and come back out not knowing one another. Or maybe have you never been born." Tears leaked down Lucy's face. Wyatt kissed her tenderly. He wiped the tears away.

"Okay," he said gently. "I know what that means for me."

Lucy looked at him curiously, "What?"

He put his arms around her. "I don't know how Rufus and Jiya are handling the uncertainty, but since you and I jump together, I find it no longer an option to jump separately." His arms tightened around her, and Lucy felt a deep knot of anxiety in her stomach start to loosen once more.

* * *

After they came back from the gym, Lucy steered them down to the apartment complex office. They sat with the sales representative for twenty minutes, going over floor plans. The young, red-headed woman who waited on them was professional and friendly. Lucy was quite certain she caught the girl checking out her left hand for signs of a ring. Lucy smiled to herself and tried to derail the train of thought that that brought to her mind.

Wyatt asked detailed questions about where the available larger apartments were located. Lucy noticed that he kept the information on multiple apartments and she asked him about that as they walked back to the room.

"You thinking we need more than one place?"

"Just thinking about Jiya."

"Oh! You know, if she moved in here, we would certainly see more of Rufus, too. It would be like the safe house slumber party all the time here."

Wyatt gave her a sly look as they reached the door, "I hear you're a fan of those."

She stepped close to him as he unlocked the door and reached up to kiss beneath his ear. She whispered, "Really, only when you're involved."

As soon as they came through the door, Wyatt swept her into his arms and captured her lips with his. "I'm glad to hear that," he muttered into her neck as he lavished kisses down its length. "Because, I'm not a fan of sleep-overs or slumber parties." He picked her up bodily in his arms again, "But I do happen to be a fan of you." He marched them back to the bedroom, and Lucy went, with no arguments.

* * *

Over lunch, they talked about plans for the future. They had spread condiments and deli meats out on the small kitchen table. Lucy shared her morning thoughts about what to bring over. Wyatt confirmed her suspicions. She could bring over all her stuff and the kitchen sink tomorrow, as far as he was concerned.

"You don't seem to be worried about this?" Lucy said.

"Nope." Wyatt's lip curled just slightly.

"How come?"

"Honestly? With the amount of time I spend feeling worried about you being safe, where you are... Well, the closer you are to me the sounder I'll sleep."

Lucy's heart fluttered, but she said sarcastically, "Really? I thought all Rufus and I did was wake you up at night?"

"I'd rather wake up ten times a night and see you there, safe and sound, than wake up once in the morning alone, wondering if you're okay."

* * *

Wyatt gave Lucy a ride back to Jiya's that evening. Margot tailed them, and Wyatt made a mental note to shake her down for what was circulating about them in the gossip grape vine.

Lucy had struggled with what to wear. Do the walk of shame shuffle with the worse for wear black evening gown? Or put up with the mother of all ribbings for heading home clothed in Wyatt's clothes from head to toe.A quick trip to a local super store saved her either agony. Also added a neat little tooth brush, apple-scented shampoo bottle and an extra pair of Lucy-size slippers to Wyatt's household.

Wyatt could barely stop grinning at Lucy on the way home and she had to insist that red lights did not mean kisses _every_ time. But she did miss it once he heeded her instructions. Their kiss good night in the car was long, lingering, and could easily have turned into an extended make-out session if Wyatt hadn't been very conscious of both pairs of security officer eyes on them at the parking lot by the apartment building.

Wyatt walked her to the third floor apartment's door. He carried her bag, taking the stair by twos as she jogged up each step, quizzing her about arrangements they'd made over the course of the day.

"Don't forget to give Jiya the info about the apartment."

"Got it in my bag."

"We're going out for pool tomorrow night, right?"

"Time travel pending, yes. Jiya said Rufus was down."

"And you know I love you more than life itself, right?"

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, took in what he had said, and melted. They were at the landing leading to the apartment door. Lucy turned to Wyatt where he stood, with a crooked grin on his face and his heart on his sleeve. She put her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. His arms came around her in a bear hug, and he pressed a series of kisses to the crown of her head.

She heard him go on quietly, "You're feeling good about getting a three bedroom place with me right?"

Lucy nodded, pulling her face up to look in his eyes. "Yes. I'm so ready. I can't believe I actually have to walk away from you right now, honestly.." His mouth descended on hers. She closed her eyes, enjoying that sweet taste of Wyatt that she'd become addicted to in such a short time. When the kiss ended, Lucy took in Wyatt's dilated eyes and smiled to realize if they were back at his place, this moment would end very differently indeed.

Instead, Lucy said, "See you around, sweetheart," and somehow broke the magnetic pull that held her arms around him.

He resisted for a moment, then let go as well, handing the new overnight bag to Lucy and taking a reluctant step back. He returned, "See you later, babydoll."

Lucy took a deep breath and gave him a little wave goodbye. Wyatt nodded and stepped towards the stairs, slowly moving away from her.

Lucy turned towards the door and thought about what she would say to Jiya. She decided to start by asking about the amazingly romantic night the pair of engineers had shared, to give herself time to figure out how to talk about herself and Wyatt. Then it hit her that Wyatt was going and she would have to wait many long hours before she saw him again.

She dropped her bag at the door and scampered down the stairs after him. Catching him on a mid-level landing, she flew into his arms. He received a patented Lucy Preston hug with an "oof" and laughed as she showered him with kisses.

"Lucy, is everything all right?"

She nodded, snuggling in his arms for a few more precious moments. "I'm with you. You know it is."

* * *

 **A/N:** And so closes part three of my first fanfic. Thank you to everyone who has come along this ride and cheered on Wucy to find each other. The Single Date was a bit more adventuresome than they (or I!) had planned, but that's writing for ya. It's awesome to contemplate getting to see season 2 in very close to one month from now. Great time to tie up this musing on what the Time Team's fight with Emma would look like and get to see for real. Thank you for all kudos, reviews and comments over these many months on all three stories: Perspective, Talk to Me and The Single Date. You make my day and I am so grateful for folks how take the time to let me know if the story made them happy, too. Thank you!


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